Bibliotheca Arnamagnæana - 01.06.2003, Page 171

Liturgy of St Knud Lavard
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were destroyed, and Erik Emune also lay dead (he who with a lion’s cruelty
committed slaughter, sparing no one, to avenge his brother), Erik Lam obtained
the throne. At that time Valdemar, son of the duke and martyr, attained to the dis-
cretion of manhood and displayed the nobility of his nature, the grace of virtues,
and a fearless disposition; these drew him into the limelight after a long period
in obscurity.
Sixth lesson of the Translation (§ 10b:2:2:l). With Valdemar was Sven, his com-
rade and biood relative, son of his uncle on the father’s side, ennobled while
young by the dignity of virtue no less than of his nature. Thus both conscious-
ness of kinship and the bond of friendship made these young nobles unanimous
in all things. Then, forming a plan to the honour (as they saw it) of Valdemar’s
father and Sven’s uncle, they decided to transfer his remains from the grave to a
bier. When word of this reached Archbishop Eskil, he tried to divert the young
men’s wish from their declared purpose, not because he opposed their motives
but out of reverence for the Holy See; and he issued an episcopal prohibition
against it being done. However, displaying obstinacy to save face, they persisted
in what they had begun and placed his bones, which had previously lain in the
grave, on a bier. Mindful also of what had been done out of the malice men-
tioned above, they removed the perpetrators of that unheard-of crime from the
saint’s abode.
Seventh lesson of the Translation (§ 10b:2:3:1). Behold, so that the house of
God should no longer suffer the injustice of its shepherd, they elected to that Of-
fice John from Odense with the agreement of the chapter and the king’s approval
out of consideration for religion, and on their return to Ringsted they committed
the holy church to his providential care. That same year the king resigned the
throne, took a monk’s habit, and said a happy farewell to the cares of the world.
When Sven succeeded to the throne peace was shattered, rebellion was in-
flamed, and intemal commotion provoked even peaceful men to conflict. Hav-
ing been out of the kingdom for nearly three years, this selfsame king returned to
his country under the pretence of peace. And then Sven, Knud, and Valdemar
met together under guarantees of good faith, and on the advice of wise men
strove for the sake of peace to quell rebellion in the kingdom.
Eighth lesson of the Translation (§ 10b:2:4:l). The kinsmen entered into an
agreement on conditions such that the country was divided, and each of them was
freely to possess a third of it. And a fictive pact and false peace were thus con-
cluded. For, when they later met at Roskilde, Knud and Constantine were evilly
slain by Sven, and while they feil Valdemar escaped, seriously wounded. Then he
gave battie to the traitor at Grathe Hede and had the victory by God’s will, and